For performing pipe or sewer inspections or sewer cleaning or maintenance works, it is known to use so-called sewer or pipe inspection and/or maintenance systems, which may be introduced into the sewage pipe or duct, and may be moved within the sewage pipe, for example, advanced. A main connection pipe usually is a highly branched piping system, which leads to a main pipe, into which the sewer inspection and/or maintenance systems are introduced.
The inspection or maintenance systems, hereby, have to be configured such that they are able to branch off from the main pipe into a subsidiary pipe in order to also inspect or service the subsidiary pipe.
For this, known inspection or cleaning systems use guide and/or deflecting devices projecting beyond the contour of the front end of the inspection or maintenance system, and which may be pivoted relative to the inspection or maintenance system.
Such a system is known, for example, from DE 203 17 314 U1. Here, a camera unit is arranged at the front end of the inspection system which is rotatable about an axis running in advancing direction, wherein a steering rod is fixed to a rotation mechanism. During advancing towards a subsidiary pipe, the rotation mechanism is rotated such that the steering rod at least partially projects into the subsidiary pipe such that the steering rod, upon further advancing of the inspection system, rests on the side wall of the subsidiary pipe, and thus effects a turning off of the inspection system into the subsidiary pipe.
From DE 101 02 056 A1, a satellite camera of a pipe inspection system is known, at which a guiding device is arranged being provided for deflection of the satellite camera. The guiding device is configured as a deflection device which may be advanced beyond the periphery of the satellite camera.
Such systems, however, are disadvantageous in that the guiding or steering device projecting beyond the camera contour may lie in the viewing angle of the camera image, and thereby may affect the inspection negatively. Moreover, these guiding and steering devices may affect the mobility, for example, of the camera head, negatively.
If a tool, for example, a gripping device or a milling tool is provided instead of a camera head, the guiding device may even prevent the tool from being able to reach the location to be processed, if no corresponding means are provided by means of which the steering rod can be retracted or folded away.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention, to at least partially avoid the disadvantages known from prior art and to provide solutions which allow for better and simpler turning off from a main pipe into a subsidiary pipe without negatively affecting the function of the inspection and/or maintenance units by this. Further, the solution should be of simple design.